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UAE firm sets up division to target UK property investments

Ayana Holding forms Ayana Properties to target individual and institutional investments into the UK and other growing markets

Ayana Properties will start with the UK market, with a focus on London and Manchester.

By Sam Bridge

Fri 12 Apr 2019 12:53 AM

A UAE-based real estate focused conglomerate has announced plans to set up a new division to initially target investments in the UK despite the uncertainty surrounding Brexit.

Ayana Holding said growing investment opportunities across global property markets, especially Europe and South East Asia, combined with the increasing wealth among GCC investors are driving investments from the region.

Ayana Holding said it is setting up Ayana Properties to target individual and institutional investments into the UK and other growing markets.

"Diversification, the growing number of the wealthy from the GCC, the potential long-term gains from property investments in key global centres are all fueling investments from the region. With Ayana Properties, we plan to leverage on our global presence and connections to facilitate some of the best deals to our clientele from the region," said Hamid Kerayechian, CEO and founding partner of Ayana Holding.

Ayana Holding has a presence across numerous markets including the US, the UK, Russia, Turkey and Thailand, he added.

"What started off as institutional investments into the hospitality sector in the UK is trickling down to individual investments into second homes and stable assets that lead to long-term returns," said Mandana Dabbagh, director, Ayana Properties.

"There has been a decline in the pound against the dollar and the UAE dirham and with the current uncertainty concerning Brexit, it is the right time for GCC investors to get better deals in the UK, especially as the local and regional investments into the property sector there is strained. People with US$ spending power are benefiting in a big way on property purchases in the UK," she added.

Phuket in Thailand is another market that has witnessed increased attention from investors in the GCC, she noted.

Ayana Properties will start with the UK market. "That's our foundation. We want to develop in countries where there is an appetite from the GCC. We will be providing GCC investors with an end-to-end and streamlined experience when it comes to selecting and completing the transaction in a market that is otherwise less familiar to such investors," Dabbagh said.

She said that investors from the GCC have an increased preference for London and Manchester, adding: "Investors are looking at a long-term investment strategy and goes beyond any short-term Brexit-related issues."